Stopping mechanism for knitting machines



July 30, 1929. .1. REGAN 1,722,860

STOPPING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed NOV.. 25, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 30, 1929. J. R-EGAN 1,722,860

STOPPING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 25, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Juiy 3Q, 1929.

warren stares earner,

J'OI-IN REGAN, OF NEW BEDFORD, 1VIASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CROMPTON & KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF mnssnonosnrrs.

STOPPING MECHANISM roR KNITTING MACHINES.

Application filed November 25, 1924. Serial No. 752,208.

This invention relates to knitting machines of the type used particularly for producing fiat knitted fabric. In such machines it is necessary that the machinebe stopped promptly upon the breakage or slackness of any of the yarn threads. I

It is the object of my invention to provide an improved stopping mechanism by which this result may be accomplished accurately and reliably. To the attainment of this object, I have provided certain arrange ments and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

shown in the drawings in which Fig. 1 isan end elevation of a knitting machine having my improved stop motion applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional plan view, taken along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of parts of the stopping mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a sectional end elevation, looking in the opposite direction from Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the parts in a different position.

Referring to the drawin s, I have shown a knitting machine having a frame 10 which supports a pair of yarn rolls 11. Each yarn roll 11 is provided with a tension roll or whip roll 12 which is yieldingly pressed outward as indicated in the drawings. The yarn threads pass from the tension rolls 12 to the knitting mechanism M which may be of any usual construction and in itself forms no part of my present invention. v

My improved stopping mechanism is preferably formed inunits mounted at each side of the machine, the two units of the stopping mechanism being connected together and operating as a single mechanism.

I will first describe the primary unit of the stopping mechanism shown at the right 4.5'in Fig. 1 and at the left in Figs. 4 and 5. The stopping mechanism is mounted upon frame ends or heads 15 each adjustable along a rod 16. Each rod 16 has an offset vertical portion 17 fixed therewith and held for vertical adjustment 'in a bracket 18. Cross bars 20 extend between the heads 15 and act as guides for a plurality of drop wires 21. These wires are preferably forked A preferred form of the invention is at their lower ends and rest upon the separate yarn threads Y. 2

Each drop wire is provided with an elon- V gated slot in its upper portion through which extends a vibrator bar 22 of non-circular cross-section. When the drop wire is in'the raised position shown at the left in Fig. 4, the vibrator bar 22 is free to oscillate in the wide lower portion of the drop wire slot, but when a yarn thread breaks or becomes too slack and permits'its drop wire to fall, the vibrator bar 22 is caught in the narrow upper end of the slot andis thus prevented from oscillation. i j

The vibrator bar-22 is rotatably mounted and is connected at one end'to a bell crank 24 which is yieldingly connected by the U-shaped link 25 to a rocker arm or lever 26. The link 25 is slidable through a stud 27 in the end of the lever 26 and is provided with collars 28 and 29 and a spring 30. The lever 26 thus moves the link' 25 and bell crank 24 positively upward but pushes them yieldingly downward, so that the bell crank 24 may remain in raised positionif the lever 26 merely compresses the spring along the link 25.

The lever 26 is pivoted at 31 on the head 15 and has a connection through a link 33 (Fig. 1) to a lever 84, regularly oscillated by a cam 35. l The throw of the lever 26 may be varied by adjusting the point of connection of the link 33 to the lever 26 or to the lever 34.

, The lever 26- also has a depending hookshaped projection 36 positioned to be at times engaged by a latch 37 pivoted at 38 on a knock oif arm 39 which swings about the fixed pivot 31 previously described.

The latch 37 has a rearwardprojection 40 to which is adjustablyv secured a finger 41 posi- I tioned for engagement by thedepending lower portion 24 of the bell crank 24.

Under normal conditions, as the bell crank 24 is forced downward by the lever.26 and yielding link 25, the lowerend of the bell crank willengage the finger 41, thus depressing the latch 37 below the path ofthe hook 36. The knock-olfarm 39then remains in its normal position.

If, however, a drop wire has fallen, the

vibrator bar 22 is held fast and the bell crank 24 fails to depress the pawl 37, which is thereafter engaged by the hook 8G and forced to the right, as shown in Fig. 5, swinging the knock-off lever 39 also to'the right." A rod 42-(Fig. 3) is fixed in the knock-off lever 39 and extends downward as indicated in'Fig. 1. connected by a link 43 to a bell crank 44 (F ig. 2) having a rod or arm 45 positioned to engage an arm 46 on a sliding shaft 47. The shaft 47 car fork 48 engaging a swinging arm 49 connected to open and close a switch 50 by which the driving mechanism. of the machine is controlled. When the rod 42 is swung to the left, as indicated inFig. 1, by movement of the knock-0H1 lever 89, it acts through theobell crank 44 and arm 45 to slide the shaft 47 axially and open the switch 50. i i

The stopping mechanism unit shown rt Lou the right in F 4 and 5 is similar incon structlon and operation to the stopping mechanism previously described. vibra tor bar is mounted for oscillating move-- ment by a swinging arm 61 which is connected by an adjustablelinkGQ to the depending arm 24 of the bell crank or lever 24 on the primary stop motion unit previously described. The vibrator bars 22 and 60 thus move in unison and the stopping mechanism becomes operative it the free movement of either vibrator bar is prevented. j V i Havingv thus described my. invention, it will be seen that I have provided a stopping mechanism for a knitting machine so constructed' that it will control thev yarn threads on the two opposite sides of a knitting ma chine and that the breakage of a single At its lower end it is the advantages thereof I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim i 1. Ina knitting machine, a prim arystop motionunit at one side of the machine comprising drop wires, a vibrator bar, actuating mechanismtherefor, and knock-cit devices, and. a secondunit at the opposite side of the machine comprising drop wires, a vibrator bar, and a rod directlyfconnecting said two bars. r

In a knitting machine having a large number or" yarn threads, a pair of oppositely disposed yarn rolls on which said yarn threads are wound, a tension roll for each yarn roll and each providing, tension for all. of the yarn threads on its associated yarn roll, a separate series of drop wires for the yarn threads on each yarn roll engaging said threads between the yarn roll and its associated tension roll, a separate vibrator bar for each series of wires, a complete stopping mechanism unit torone series of drop wires, a partial stopping mechanism unit for the other series of drop wires, operative connections between said units, comprising a rod directly connecting said vibra tor bars and stopping devices directly C0111 trolled from said first unit.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aiiixed my signature.

JOHN EG N. 

